Bill Wilson is widely recognized as being the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. However, there were others who were extremely instrumental in the creation of the fellowship. By the year 1934, addiction to alcohol had taken its toll on Wilson’s life. He lost a hopeful career on Wall Street, failed to graduate law school, disrupted his marriage and was hospitalized four times within one year.

During the year of his frequent hospitalization, Bill Wilson was the patient of Dr. William Silkworth, who believed alcoholism was an illness rather than the result of having low or no moral ethics; a popular theory on alcoholism in the 1930s. The thought of having an illness that he could manage himself led Wilson to stop drinking for roughly a month before relapsing.

It was only after having several conversations with long time friend Ebby Thacher and attending his first Oxford Group (a Christian Fellowship) meeting that Wilson turned his life to God. Thacher played an intricate part in introducing Wilson to the Oxford Group and its other members. However, even after boosting to others about his newfound spirituality, Wilson continued to drink the next day and subsequent days afterwards until finally being hospitalized for the fourth and last time.

During his final stay at Towns hospital, Bill Wilson underwent The Belladonna Cure to overcome his addiction to alcohol. During his treatment, Wilson described having a “hot flash” which led to his spiritual awakening. Afterwards, Wilson would become more involved with Oxford Group meetings and would often spend time talking with other former alcoholics, becoming interested in learning how to help them.

But, it wasn’t until a business trip to Akron, Ohio in 1935 that Alcoholics Anonymous seed would be planted. Wilson had been sober since the last time he was hospitalized but felt the urge to drink. He felt that he needed to speak with a fellow recovering alcoholic in order to stay sober. That’s when Wilson contacted the local Oxford Group and met with Dr. Bob Smith, a former alcoholic who now resided over the local Oxford meetings.

Wilson and Dr. Smith formed a meaningful relationship and planned to bring their message of sobriety to other alcoholics seeking recovery. However, Dr. Smith would begin drinking again shortly after. It was only after a month of working with Bill Wilson that Dr. Smith was able to achieve sobriety. Dr. Smith’s last drink was a beer before surgery to steady his hand in June 10, 1935, considered by members to be the founding date of Alcoholics Anonymous.